2003 I35 suspension upgrades?/different from Maxima?

[maxima278]

I love this car, but I have noticed it does not handle like my old 4th gen maxima or a 2000 model that I testdrove. Is it the springs, struts, or both or what?

[LA02MAX]

Yeah the suspension is a bit softer than the SE maxima suspension. You can either opt to get the suspension from an SE (i actually have an extra set..) or you can go aftermarket (which is what I would do)

[Beancooker]

Eibach springs and Tokico Illumina struts, witha a FSTB and RSB for the ultimate in Maxima handling!!!

[maxima278]

forgive me, but I'm not sure what a FSTB or RSB is... front strut tower brace and rear strut bar? that popped into my head as I was typing this...

I love the height on LAO2MAX's car with the tein H-techs, how does it compare to the Eibach's? I have eibach's on my 240 and it is quite a bit lower than the teins would be, that's why I'm asking. The I35 is mostly my wife's car, so I can't get too crazy. Is the ride quality still good?

Where do you guys reccommend purchasing these parts?

[LA02MAX]

the ride quality on the h-techs is amazing when my illuminas are set to 3 or below. When they're set to 5, the ride quality does get a little harsh, but that's nothing a little turn of a knob wont fix.

If I were you, I would get the H&Rs for your wife. The ride quality is excellent, the handling is even better, but it isn't as much of a drop as most of the other springs out there (well, at least in the front, the back drops quite a bit)

And yeah, FSTB = front strut tower bar and RSB = rear sway bar. If you want to opt for these, get the FSTB from ebay for cheap, and get the RSB from cattman (progress) at http://www.cattman.com

[Sentientbydesign]

I have illuminas on my I30 (4th gen). The lower numbers represent a harder ride. So 1 would be stiffest, 5 softest.

Eibach makes two lines of springs for our cars. The prokit is rated at somewhere around 1.5-2". You get increased handling and a lower center of gravity (less body roll). They also have the sportskit. If I remember correctly the sportskit drops your car around 3.5 inches. It's significantly stiffer.

On my I30 I have the Prokit with tokico illuminas up front and the HPs in the rear. I got about 2.25-2.5" drop.

[LA02MAX]

I have illuminas on my I30 (4th gen). The lower numbers represent a harder ride. So 1 would be stiffest, 5 softest.

Eibach makes two lines of springs for our cars. The prokit is rated at somewhere around 1.5-2". You get increased handling and a lower center of gravity (less body roll). They also have the sportskit. If I remember correctly the sportskit drops your car around 3.5 inches. It's significantly stiffer.

On my I30 I have the Prokit with tokico illuminas up front and the HPs in the rear. I got about 2.25-2.5" drop.

Hmm...I think you were misinformed....5 is, indeed, the stiffest. Have you tried switching the settings from 1 to 5? You will definitely notice the difference in stiffness between the two. Here's a quote I got from a webiste:

"TOKICO Illumina adjustable series offers some of the highest shock absorber technology currently available in the aftermarket.Tokico Illumina gas shock's ease of adjustment and change in vehicle response is second to none. The Tokico Illumina uses a specially calibrated orifice bypass system which allows simultaneous adjustment of both compression and rebound. Each adjustment "clicks" so you always know your shock settings. The adjustment range of Tokico Illumina is one of the widest available, with 5 separate positions. Position 1 is the softest, or lowest damping force, while position 5 is the stiffest. Whether you are looking for ride or superb handling,Tokico Illumina is the answer."

Also, eibachs are about a 1.3" drop in the front and a 1" drop in the rear....i haven't heard of any 3.5" drop availiable to us besides slamming your coilovers...and the eibach sport kit isn't available for maximas...

[Beancooker]

I would reply, but LA02Max hit all the nails on the head.

Eibachs ride very stiff, you can feel mouse poop when you hit it. Not good for the wife. The H&R are the closest to stock with a drop.1 is definitley the softest and 5 is the stiffest, absolutely no question about that!

Stillen also makes a RSB that has much nicer mounts, however you do pay a lot more for them!!!

[Sentientbydesign]

I appologize. That is quite interesting though. When I set my illuminas to a higher number 4 or 5 I get a much smoother ride. I also bottom out when I hit bumps hard, whereas with a lower number, my ride gets very hard. I'll have to do another test on them.

[Beancooker]

Are you sure you're botteming out and not just jarring yourself from the stiffness you're not used to? Also, are you sure you're adjusting them using the front of the arrow to point to the number setting? My arrow is rather faded and hard to read, that's why I ask.

[Sentientbydesign]

I'm sure I'm bottoming out. Part of the chasis and the oil pan have hit.

I have had issues with the arrow. It's a little difficult to tell which way it's pointing, but I'm pretty sure I've got it down.

[audtatious]

Illumina setting of 1 is softest with 5 hardest. Mine are set 2/2 right now. Since I have never driven a Maxima with a different suspension, I can't compare my Eibachs to others. It IS stiff as hell and jarring with my 40-series 18's. If I had it to do over I would go for 45-series for a bit more sidewall to lessen the impact. If you install Eibachs with factory shocks/struts, don't cut the bumpstops. With aftermarket shocks/struts, do cut the bumpstops (10mm I believe).

The one thing that Tien has over the Eibachs is you can lower the front further. The 5th-gen Maxima wheel arches are not even as the front arch is higher than the rear. When using Eibachs, the front has more gap than the rear which is not optimal from the "looks" department.

Finally, the Maxima will support drops up to 2". Drops greater than 2" will need camber plates installed.